CULTURE EDITION
A NEW CHAPTER FOR WIMPOLE HALL’S LIBRARY
instead has been printed using high- resolution photographic technology to replicate every detail of the original design. Visitors can now walk freely on this new carpet, without putting the original textile at risk. The exact history of the original is still a topic of research, says Iain Stewart, senior collections and house manager and curator apprentice. “Manufactured in linen and wool, it is assumed to be an Axminster carpet, dated to the 1760s; probably designed by Thomas Whitty. Confirming the maker and date would mean the carpet is one of the few 18th-century items that remain at Wimpole Hall.”
Visitors to the National Trust’s Wimpole Estate can now step into its library for the first time, to experience the grandeur of the room as it was intended, thanks to an innovative project led by the estate’s collection and house team in collaboration with specialist textile conservators. In a carefully orchestrated process, the library’s remarkable, historic carpet, decorated with shells, palm fronds and English flower garlands, was surveyed, surface-vacuumed and rolled into storage, before a strikingly accurate reproduction was laid in its place. Created by Rutters UK, the replacement carpet is not woven, but
Theatre life preserved with time capsule Mayor of Cambridge Dinah Pounds (centre) visited Cambridge Arts Theatre on 24 June to place a time capsule commemorating the theatre’s refurbishment, preserving its history and communicating with future theatregoers. Created through community contributions, the capsule contained such objects as theatre tickets, photographs, newspaper cuttings and a letter from pantomime dame Matt Crosby.
More info at artstheatre-redevelopment.com
FOLK MUSIC COMES TO CHERRY HINTON HALL Folk stars Katherine Priddy and Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings are among the national and local artists confirmed for a free family music concert at Cherry Hinton Hall on 2 August. The Folk in the City outdoor concert, organised by Cambridge City Council, is set to highlight folk music’s rich traditions and vibrant future, also featuring Cambridge-based singer- songwriter Sean O’Hanrahan, folk musicians Sam Sweeney and Grace Smith – known for deeply expressive playing – and Kate Griffin and Ford Collier exploring contemporary folk with Celtic, bluegrass and Indian influences. Young musicians from this year’s Folk Summer School will open the event, followed by a kids’ show with CBeebies star Nick Cope, while a ceilidh closes the proceedings in style!
Find out more at cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
22 AUGUST 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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